Happy Easter

 

 

I am hoping everyone is having a very happy Easter this year.  So many things have changed for me since last Easter, and I am looking forward to spending time with my family.  I've learned a lot in the last year and it makes me appreciate this time and every time I have with family even more. 

 

I am looking into Easter themed books for the blog for next year and welcome any suggestions you all have, leave some in the comments!

The Girls in the Garden

Title: Girls in The Garden
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: mystery/thriller
Source: Library hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

A young mother moves into a picturesque terrace of houses in London.  In the center of the terrace is a beautiful garden that all the children have the freedom to play in, or whatever they wish to do.  It is the perfect place for secrets, whisperings, and gossip as well.  Grace is found in the garden on her birthday unconscious, which leads to many questions about the residents of this small community.




This is not the first Lisa Jewell book I have read, I've read several so far and each time I enjoy her work even more.  I am always left wanting to read more and be brought into her world deeper each time.  Lisa Jewell has the knack of delivering character driven stories that captivate and engross her readers.  She gets into the mindset of the characters and provides readers with everything they need to have an enjoyable reading experience.

Girls In The Garden is an expertly written novel filled with intrigue, suspense and keeps you guessing at every turn.  There are so many red herrings that you don't know who can be trusted and who to question.  It is a steady pace that keeps the story moving making you want to know what happens next, who's secret will be revealed next.  In the beginning of the book is a map of the garden, so readers get a good idea of where each of the homes are.

There are some things that are eluded to in this novel that might be a trigger for some readers, but Jewell presents it in a way that is tasteful and respectful.  Jewell gives readers a set of characters who are not perfect.  They are flawed in every way and I think that is one thing that makes her writing so wonderful.  It is easy to relate to the characters and picture them as yourself or even someone you know.

I loved this novel and plan on reading a lot more of Lisa's novels.  If you haven't tried her writing yet, this is a good one to begin with.

Title: Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales
Author Kate Forrester
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales
Source: Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

The traditional stories of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales transport us to the fantastical world of Celtic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 16 stories in this compilation conjure forgotten realms and rare magical creatures in vivid prose. These timeless tales brim with wit and magic, and each one is brought to life with elegant silhouette art by Kate Forrester in this special illustrated edition.

I have always loved fairy tales and folklore, none more than Celtic Tales as that is my heritage.  I was so excited when I seen this book and delved right into the stories.  They are short enough to devour in a few short hours, or you can read a few and set the book aside for another time.  Great for bedtime reading.  I love the story about the skelkies and the Witch of Lok Island.  They are all great stories but those two were among my favorites, I love skelkies as a whole and for some reason Lok Island Witch was interesting as well, it was one I haven't read before.

There is a certain enjoyment from reading fairy tales especially those from one's ancestry and this was no different for me.  I almost crave more Celtic tales to add to my knowledge and this book definitely does that.  I love how it is broken up between tricksters, the sea and romance.  Now if I want a short romance story or one about tricksters I know where to look.  Each story tells you where it originates and includes a nice little illustration.

Kate Forrester did a great job putting this collection of fairy tales together and I am glad I got to read it.  While the book is only about 177 pages take the time to enjoy each story and the fantasy world it creates.  Let the magic overtake you to a new realm.